Taking damage does not equate to actually being struck or injured, at least in my opinion. It refers instead to “plot armour” being removed, or if you prefer, your character growing too tired to dodge. Hit by a glancing blow from an Orc? It is far more likely that it simply bounced off your armour and left you staggered, or you deflected the strike but it left your muscles strained and sore. You may not be able to block it quite as easily next time. Where this falls apart is in the last few hit points. Following this system, instead of slowly being whittled down with a dozen cuts and bruises, you go from “tired” to “nearly dead.” Here, we instead operate on a wound system. This allows for short (and potentially long) term injuries that will allow the character to keep on trekking forward, but with a very clear penalty. The goal with this particular system is making something simple and easy to learn with the possibility for injuries that hamper players but don't prevent them from moving forward, unless they choose to stay fighting and risk more significant injury. Characters have Wound Points equal to their constitution score (NOT modifier) + their proficiency bonus. As soon as they are reduced to zero hit points, they will begin taking wound damage instead of hit point damage. They may remain alert and keep fighting, but must make a saving throw against exhaustion (DC 10 CON save) each round they take an action. If a character takes wound damage they roll on the appropriate wound table. If a character takes wound damage but is not reduced to zero wound points, they roll on the minor wounds table. If a character is reduced to zero wound points they roll on the major wounds table, potentially fall unconscious, and if unconscious, begin to make death saving throws as per normal 5e rules. If a character rolls the same result twice they either re-roll or keep the result but suffer additional penalties at the DM’s discretion. All Minor Wounds can be healed with Lesser Restoration, a DC 13 Medicine check which can be attempted once per short or long rest, or three days spent without taking any Wound Damage. Major Wounds are more complex, and treatment options are listed in the consequences. For details see the DMG pg. 272. Minor Wounds d12 Consequence 1-2 Blurred Vision: You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight and on ranged attack rolls. 3-4 Ringing Ears: You have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing and your AC temporarily drops by one. 5 Limp: Your walking speed is reduced by 5 feet. You must make a DEX saving throw (DC10) after using the Dash action. If you fail the save, you fall prone. 6 Wrenched Limb: You cannot use reactions and have disadvantage on melee attack rolls. 7-8 Teeth Knocked Out: You have disadvantage on Persuasion checks. When you cast a spell with a verbal component there is a 25% chance the spell will not work. If the spell fails, you still used your action to try to cast it, but the spell did not use any slots or material components. 9-11 Keep Moving Forward: You may spend one Hit Die+CON and regain that many Hit Points. 12 Unbreakable: You may spend one Hit Die and regain that many Wound Points (excess becomes vigour). You regain your CON mod in vigour. Major Wounds d12 Consequence 1 Lose an Eye or Ear: Suffer a Festering Wound with (DC17). 2 Lose a Foot or Hand: Suffer a Festering Wound with (DC17). 3 Lose an Arm or Leg: Suffer a Festering Wound with (DC17). 4 Broken Arm or Hand: Make a CON saving throw (DC15). On a fail you fall unconscious as normal. If you succeed, gain one Hit Die+CON to Hit Points. You cannot hold more than one object, or hold a two-handed object. The injury heals after someone sets the bone with a DC 15 Medicine check and you spend thirty days without taking wound damage, or fifteen days with magical healing once per day and no wound damage. 5 Broken Leg or Foot: Make a CON saving throw (DC15). On a fail you fall unconscious as normal. If you succeed, gain one Hit Die+CON to Hit Points. Your walking speed is halved and you must use a cane or crutch to move. You fall prone after using the Dash action. You have disadvantage on Dexterity checks made to balance. The injury heals after someone sets the bone with a DC 15 Medicine check and you spend thirty days without taking wound damage, or fifteen days with magical healing once per day and no wound damage. 6-7 Internal Injury: Make a CON saving throw (DC16). On a fail you receive one failure to your Death saves and fall unconscious. If you succeed, gain one Hit Die+CON to Hit Points. Whenever you attempt an action in combat, you must make a DC 13 CON save. On a failed save, you lose your action and can't use reactions until the start of your next turn. The injury heals after 10 days of resting. This shortens by 1 for every day that you receive treatment in the form of a DC 15 Medicine check. This shortens by 2 for every day that you receive magical healing. 8 Festering Wound: Make a CON saving throw (DC16). On a fail you receive one failure to your Death saves and fall unconscious. If you succeed, gain one Hit Die+CON to Hit Points. Your Wound Point maximum is reduced by 2 every 12 hours. If your Wound Pont maximum drops to 0, you die. Someone can tend to the wound with a DC 16 Medicine check or magical healing once every 12 hours. After ten successes, the wound heals, or five successes with magical healing. 9-11 Adrenaline Rush: Gain two Hit Dice+CON to Hit Points. After the fight ends or 10 rounds pass, you are afflicted with three levels of Exhaustion. 12 Last Stand: Gain two Hit Dice+CON to Hit Points. Gain one additional Hit Die for each downed party member. Take one free action. Healing Vigour is recovered fully after a long rest and may be recovered using hit-die as part of a short rest. Wounds are recovered at a rate of 1 + (CON bonus - 1) per long rest. Magical healing or healing with a healer's kit heals wounds first and then vigour. Regenerate can restore lost body parts. Greater Restoration immediately removes all wound debuffs not resulting from a lost body part. Lesser Restoration can remove wound debuffs not resulting from a lost body part when performed over the course of a rest. Magical healing spells cast above first level count for a number of successes equal to the spell's level. Additional Rules Unforgiving Wounds Any wound damage taken can only be healed over the course of a long rest, or with a healing spell. In addition, when “gaining a Hit Die+CON” as a result of a roll, you must SPEND a Hit Die from your pool. Caught Unawares Any damage taken during a surprise round or while a character is unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or incapacitated goes straight to wound points. If the damage is taken during a surprise round, the character must make a dexterity or constitution saving throw with a DC of 10 or half the damage, whichever is greater, and if they succeed the damage goes to hit points instead. If the character is suffering from one of the above conditions, they may not make such a saving throw. You Mean Herbs Are Actually Useful!? Recovering wound damage without magical healing requires a specific herb or herbs. A DC 13 Medicine check will allow a healer with access to the resource to return 1d4 + the Healer’s Proficiency Bonus Wound Points to the character. Debilitating Blow If a character takes half their life or more (including wound points) in a single blow, roll on the major wounds table. If their wound points are at their maximum, subtract one. If they drop to zero in a single blow, roll twice on the major wounds table.
